Caleb T. Maupin is a resident New York City.
He is an activist in Workers World Party and Fight Imperialism - Stand Together.
He writes for Workers World Newspaper, and various other publications.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Ron Paul Should Be Happy About Debate Exclusion

Ron Paul’s whining about third parties not being let into the debates, is so frighteningly ironic.

Ron Paul ran for the Republican Nomination for President on a platform of unbridled capitalism. He preached that the government should cease all regulation of big business, private corporations, and such. Ron Paul calls for a return to the gilded age of “economic liberty” and the gold standard.

Ron Paul complains that third parties are not allowed to take part in the debates.But who runs the debate’s Mr. Paul?

The Commission on Presidential Debates is a PRIVATE corporation. MSNBC, FOX, CNN, and CBS are all private corporations. Would it not require regulation of private business to force these private corporations to allow third parties into the debates?The only place this would not be so, would be PBS, the PUBLIC broadcasting system. But Ron Paul opposes PBS as unconstitutional.

The reason third party candidates aren’t in the debates, is because the government listens to people like him. Instead of forcing private corporations to be fair and allow alternative thought, the government is “letting the market decide.” Private corporations which own TV have decided they don’t want to hear what Cynthia Mckinney, Chuck Baldwin, Jerry White, Brian Moore, Alan Keyes, Gloria La Riva, and yes, even Bob Barr, a libertarian like Paul, have to say.

Ron Paul shouldn’t be complaining about the lack of third party participation. He should thank the government for listening to him. The Market has spoken, Mr. Paul, free thought is out.